Physicians such as radiologists and oncologists are dealing with increasing amounts of information to diagnose in order to treat patients optimally. For instance, patients with cancer frequently undergo imaging exams, and over time, will have dozens of studies in their medical record. Each time physicians read a new exam, they need to compare the current exam with prior ones in order to determine the progress of previously identified lesions and/or to discover any new lesions. This task requires the physicians to read, compare, interpret and correlate findings in both images and reports. These activities are both time-consuming from a workflow perspective and challenging from a clinical perspective.
Within the field of breast cancer treatment, mammography is the process of using low-dose amplitude X-rays (i.e., around 0.7 mSv) to examine the human breast in coordination with diagnostic and screening tools. The goal of mammography is the early detection of breast cancer, typically through detection of characteristic masses, lesions, and/or microcalcifications. Mammography is believed to reduce mortality from breast cancer. No other imaging technique has been shown to reduce risk, but remaining aware of breast changes and physician examination are considered essential parts of regular breast care. Accordingly, accurately and consistently annotating lesions is very important for clinical decision support.